The present disclosure relates generally to computer input systems, in some embodiments to a keyboard that may be adjusted to provide the keyboard in a variety of ergonomic orientations, and in some embodiments to additionally provide the keyboard in a compact, folded-over configuration for stowing and transport.
Keyboards of the type used at computer terminals conventionally include a unitary board onto which alphanumeric keys are attached. It is often a disadvantage of such conventional keyboards that the wrists and/or arms and shoulders of a human user must be contorted into a configuration which may be stressful, particularly after prolonged use of the keyboard. This problem is brought about by the fact that, in most conventional unitary keyboard designs and key arrangements, the hands of the user must be turned outwardly by pivoting of the wrists relative to the forearms, resulting in ulnar deviation. Discomfort to the user caused by pronation of the wrists is also a problem with these conventional keyboards. Pronated postures can also transmit stresses into the neck and shoulders of the user.
It is generally desirable to reduce pronation and ulnar deviation of the wrists in computer keyboards. To that end, U.S. Pat. No. 6,984,081 describes adjustable keyboards with at least two keyboard segments which are movable relative to one another via a hinge or joint, along with a locking lever that is operable to lock the keyboard segments into a desired ergonomic orientation. The user may de-actuate the locking lever to release the keyboard segments for movement relative to each other, adjust the keyboard segments into a desired ergonomic orientation, and then actuate the locking lever to lock the keyboard segments into the desired ergonomic orientation. This allows the orientation of the user's wrists and hands to be precisely adjusted to allow for reduction of ulnar deviation and pronation of the wrists. Successful commercial embodiments generally in accord with such a design include the Goldtouch® adjustable keyboard and the Goldtouch Go!™ travel keyboard, both available from KeyOvation, LLC, Cedar Park, Tex.
However, the use of the locking lever in such adjustable keyboards has been found to add non-intuitive steps to the keyboard adjustment process. For example, a user typically must use two hands to unlock the locking lever (e.g., by grasping the keyboard segment that includes the locking lever with one hand, and then unlocking the locking lever with the other hand), then position their hands to grasp each of the keyboard segments separately so that they may be adjusted relative to each other and into the desired ergonomic orientation, and then hold the segments in the desired position while they manipulate the locking lever to lock the keyboard segments into the desired ergonomic orientation. This keyboard adjustment process may cause initial problems for a user attempting to use the adjustable keyboard until they have mastered it, which may influence some users to not use the adjustable keyboard. Furthermore, some users may forget to unlock the locking lever during the keyboard adjustment process, and instead forcibly adjust the keyboard segments relative to each other and against the resistance of the locking lever, which can degrade the effectiveness of the locking lever.
Accordingly, improved ergonomic keyboard solutions are desired.